LOVE - HATE - LOVE

Chapter 46

Early in the morning Sakthi's sleep was disturbed by birds chirping, she was awake after hearing it humming. Still the room was dark, curtains were closed, either lights had to be switched on or the curtains had to be removed to remove the darkness. Sakthi felt peace after so many months in this new place, she wishes to love throughout her life. With a cheerful mood slowly she stretched her body and tried to get up, but suddenly she found something was touching her leg. She got scared and thought it was a rat and pulled her legs back immediately. Soon she switched on the table lamp and she was extremely shocked to see Gowtham lying and sleeping in that same place. She understood everything within a second, next minute she got up from the bed and silently watched him.

Sakthi observed him keenly, she noticed his swollen legs, pale face and the dark circles around his eyes. She knew well that he was hurting himself but she was completely clueless why he was doing all this.
What was the need for him to sleep under her foot ??
Is he doing penance?? Asked Sakthi herself. Her dead father's face came to her mind, her eyes welled up. Then she came to a conclusion.

Definitely no, he didn't change a bit, he is not such a great guy to accept his sister's and his ugly side. According to her he was doing everything for his unborn baby, she knew that still he didn't realise his grave mistakes. She was stronger than before to unveil all the truth, more than that she wanted to take her revenge on Gowtham for spoiling her happy family. His changed gestures didn't touch her heart even one bit. She looked at him deeply for a while and moved away without making noise. And Gowtham continued to sleep in the same position peacefully.

Meanwhile Sakthi finished her morning routines and dressed up tidily. She prepared a simple breakfast vegetable upma with coconut chutney and started to eat. She took the food on a plate and went to the garden and started to enjoy the ambiance with the food. While she was eating Gowtham was awake and came out of his room searching for Sakthi. When he got up he was shocked to not to find Sakthi on the bed. He remembered their fight last night and he was panicked, he thought she might have left the cottage and searched for her madly.

After a few minutes he saw her sitting on the swing leisurely and she looked lost in that nature's beauty. Gowtham sighed relaxed and he went near her.

" Sakthi, good morning… What are you doing here ?? I was searching for you everywhere, " said Gowtham with an unusual smile.

Sakthi turned and looked at his face once and then she continued to look at the beautiful place. Gowtham was perplexed seeing her reactions, sometimes he got angry and sometimes he was hurt. He didn't know what to do now and stood there as a statue. All of a sudden breaking his silence Sakthi spoke,

" How long are you going to stand like this?? Already your feet were swollen, so better sit here for sometime and have your morning tea " said Sakthi and gave him a space to sit together with her on the same swing . Gowtham couldn't believe his own ears, he felt like he was imagining something. Yesterday night she was fighting with him, and now she was behaving like nothing happened. But indeed it was not his hallucinations, Sakthi mentioned about his feet pain too, which was very much true. And also she was moving a little and gave him a space to sit next to her.

Gowtham was extremely surprised but he obliged her words and sat next to her with a decent space between them like a perfect gentle man. Sakthi chuckled silently seeing that and then she extended a tea cup to him. He got it from her, said thanks and took a sip of it. He continued to drink the tea and stare at the same place Sakthi was seeing. He could see a small kid walking with her father by holding his hands. Gowtham was emotional seeing that he imagined like he was walking with his father. Then he imagined himself as a father and walking with his own kid, immediately he got goosebumps. That kind of feeling was very much new to him, slowly he turned and saw Sakthi secretly. Sakthi noticed that and remained silent, a lazy smile creeped in her lips and after a few minutes she continued to speak.